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Scholomance
|boss=Darkmaster Gandling |type= |level=56–61 |players=5 |key= |bosses= }} The Scholomance (SKOH-loh-mance), a vile academy for prospective necromancers of the Scourge, is located in the ruins of the palatial House of Barov, on a rise overlooking the abandoned city of Caer Darrow. The enemy level range is 56-62, the same as Stratholme and requires that you be at least level 45 and possess the or a rogue with a 280 lockpicking skill to enter. Alternatively, a warlock can Life Tap himself as low as possible, then Hellfire himself to death. While in ghost form, he can step through the door and resurrect on the inside, letting the group in that way. This instance is at least partially soloable at level 70, although not without considerable risk. It is a good test of a player's gear and skill, offering lessons in the importance of execution order, suitable levels of patience, and situational awareness. It becomes completely soloable at probably around tier 5 or equivalent gear. Scholo is also probably the single most efficient pre-TBC instance for farming, with trash runs up to the Great Ossuary taking about 45 minutes for a fast player, and potentially yielding 100-200 gold, depending on which blue items drop. The instance has a very rich loot table for the level range, and individual mobs tend to drop good amounts of both coins and Runecloth as well, which generally still sells well on the Auction House. In addition, necromancers and dark summoners (as well as a few of the bosses) drop the prized Dark Runes, which are both useful for raiders and can still command prices of 15-20 gold each on the Auction House. It is not uncommon for 3-4 to drop during a single run, adding potentially another 80 gold to the instance's yield. History The Scholomance was founded by the rogue wizard Kel'Thuzad nearly ten years ago. His Cult of the Damned renovated the ancient crypts beneath Caer Darrow (an old Arathorian fortress) and turned them into a school for necromancy. The Cult used this place to train its mortal agents and prepare to unleash the Plague of Undeath upon Lordaeron. It has been brewing with young talented wizards and adepts all this time. No one in Lordaeron knew. Originally, the Barov family (of Alterac) owned the land and gave it to the Cult in exchange for the Lich King's blessing of immortality. Now the Barovs remain as undead monsters. One of Kel'Thuzad's mightiest agents, the Ravenian, also lives within the recesses of the school — ever ready to devour those students who show any sign of weakness. The lich Ras Frostwhisper rules over the site and guards it for the Scourge, but the mortal necromancer, Darkmaster Gandling, serves as headmaster of the school. :The Scholomance is housed within a series of crypts that lie beneath the ruined keep of Caer Darrow. Once owned by the noble Barov family, Caer Darrow fell into ruin following the Second War. As the wizard Kel'thuzad enlisted followers for his Cult of the Damned, he would often promise immortality in exchange for serving the Lich King. The Barov family fell to Kel'thuzad's charismatic influence and donated the keep and its crypts to the Scourge. The cultists then killed the Barovs and turned the ancient crypts into a school for necromancy known as the Scholomance. Though Kel'thuzad no longer resides in the crypts, devoted cultists and instructors still remain. The powerful lich, Ras Frostwhisper, rules over the site and guards it in the Scourge's name — while the mortal necromancer, Darkmaster Gandling, serves as the school's insidious headmaster. Geography Maps * wow.incgamers.com * worldofwarcraft.gameamp.com Sub-Regions Quest for Key to Scholomance * NOTE: Quest:Clear the Way and Quest:All Along the Watchtowers (Alliance) are hidden prereqs for this questline. * NOTE: Quest:Scarlet Diversions and Quest:All Along the Watchtowers (Horde) are the hidden prereqs for the Horde side of this quest. Quests In Scholomance * Given by Betina Bigglezink in Light's Hope Chapel in the Eastern Plaguelands. ** After you have completed the simple kill quest, plagued hatchlings will sometimes drop Healthy Dragon Scales. These can be turned in to Betina for reputation with the Argent Dawn. Only people who have completed the above quest will be able to see and pick up the Healthy Dragon Scales. * Given by Weldon Barov in Chillwind Camp in the Western Plaguelands. ** A nearby PvP quest. * Given by Alexi Barov at The Bulwark, Tirisfal Glades. ** A nearby PvP quest. Dawn's Gambit * (Burning Steppes) Given by Tinkee Steamboil in Flame Crest ** (Winterspring) *** (Winterspring) **** (Winterspring) ***** (Burning Steppes) ****** (Upper Blackrock Spire) ******* (Upper Blackrock Spire) ******** (Burning Steppes) ********* (Eastern Plaguelands) ********** (Scholomance) Justice for the Sarkhoffs * Given by Eva Sarkhoff in Caer Darrow in the Western Plaguelands, enters the Scholomance. ** *** Upon completing this quest you will receive the Spectral Essence, a trinket that allows you to speak with the ghosts at Caer Darrow. This offers several benefits, including the ability to purchase the recipe for Major Mana Potions, and the continuation of the quest chain. Ras Frostwhisper * Requires completion of the above chain for access to the quest giver. * Given by Magistrate Marduke in Caer Darrow in the Western Plaguelands, takes you to Stromgarde in the Arathi Highlands. ** Takes you to Light's Hope Chapel in the Eastern Plaguelands. *** Given by Leonid Barthalomew the Revered, takes you to Stratholme. Once Baron Rivendare is dead, use the item in the symbol on the floor. **** Back to Barthalomew. ***** Back to Marduke. ****** Back into the Scholomance. Resources Unknown Dungeon Denizens * Bone golems * Crypt fiends * Gargoyles (one, Kirtonos the Herald) * Ghouls * Gnomes * High elves * Humans * Liches (one, Ras Frostwhisper) * Plague dragon whelps * Rats (critters) * Shades * Skeletal mages * Skeletal warriors * Skeletons * Succubi (one, Blood Steward of Kirtonos) * Wights (one, the Ravenian) * Wraiths * Zombies Mobs ''The Students *Scholomance Acolytes cast: Mind Flay, Dark Mending (healing spell), Shadowform, Cripple *Scholomance Adepts cast: Frostbolt, Frost Shock, Cone of Cold *Scholomance Dark Summoners cast: Summon Skeletal Lackey (Summoning spell, 1.5 sec cast), Drain Life, Curse of Blood (Increases physical damage taken) *Scholomance Handlers cast: Cone of Cold, Blast Wave, Arcane Blast (Arcane damage plus knockback) *Scholomance Necrolytes cast: Shadow Barrier (reduces shadow damage taken by 50), Shadowbolt *Scholomance Necromancers cast: Call to the Grave, Shadowbolt Volley (AoE Shadowbolt spell), Explode Corpse (Blows up a nearby corpse, dealing shadow damage to all enemies within a 5 yard radius) *Scholomance Neophytes cast: Shadowbolt, Dark Mending (healing spell), Shadow Word: Pain, Mind Flay, Fear *Scholomance Occultists cast: Counterspell, turns into a Dark Shade *Dark Shade: casts Shadowbolt Volley (AoE Shadowbolt), immune to physical damage *Scholomance Students Plagued dragonflight *Plagued Hatchlings cast: Diseased Spit (Nature damage and reduces stamina for 30 sec. Stacks) Mindless Undead *Risen Aberrations cast: Fixate, immune to magic *Risen Constructs *Risen Bonewarders cast: Drain Life, Bone Armor (absorbs a set amount of damage), Consuming Shadows (Channeled AoE spell that slows and damages enemies around the caster) *Risen Guards: cast Shield Slam, Sunder Armor *Risen Protectors cast: Shadow Word: Pain, Shadow Shock (Instant cast Shadow damage spell), Silence (AoE silence) *Risen Warriors cast Heroic Strike, Rend, Thunderclap, Knockdown (knocks the target down for 3 sec) *Splintered Skeletons *Reanimated Corpses cast: Dark Plague (38 Nature damage every 5 sec for 2 mins. Stacks) *Unstable Corpses *Diseased Ghouls cast: Wandering Plague (Physical damage taken increased by 5, Stamina reduced by 3), Disease Cloud (Deals Nature damage to all enemies near the caster) Undead *Spectral Researchers cast: Mana Burn, Wail of Souls (AoE cone spell) *Spectral Teachers cast: Banish, Mana Burn, Arcane Focus (Increases casting speec by 66%) *Spectral Tutors cast: Mana Burn, Silence (AoE silence), Spectral Projection (Turns invulnerable, summons 5 Speltral Projections to attack, 6 sec duration) *Necrofiends cast: Web Explosion (Immobolizes all targets for 5 sec) Bosses and Mini Bosses *Blood Steward of Kirtonos *Death Knight Darkreaver (requires Divination Scryer to summon) *Doctor Theolen Krastinov *Instructor Malicia *Jandice Barov *Kirtonos the Herald (requires Blood of Innocents to summon) *Kormok (requires Brazier of Beckoning or Brazier of Invocation to summon) *Lady Illucia Barov *Lord Alexei Barov *Lord Blackwood (during of the Scourge Invasion in patch 1.11) *Lorekeeper Polkelt *Marduk Blackpool *Ras Frostwhisper *Rattlegore *The Ravenian *Vectus Also near Ras Frostwhisper is one of two Alchemy Labs known to exist in Azeroth, the other is in Blackwing Lair. However, for Burning Crusade players, there are Alchemy Labs in Shattrath City and Sun's Reach (once the requisite phase has been completed). An Alchemy Lab is required to create any of the flask potions. Warlocks needing to complete portion of the Dreadsteed quest must use this alchemy lab as specified in their quest logs. Loot See Scholomance loot. Scholomance in Prior Patches At release, Scholomance was an extremely challenging dungeon. Typically, the dungeon was raided in 10-man parties, with a difficulty similar to Upper Blackrock Spire. Subsequent patches in the summer of 2006 changed Scholomance drastically. Mobs were weakened slightly, and a great many were removed. However, Scholomance could no longer be run with more than 5 party members. At the time, this "Scholo Nerf" was a common topic for party chat among long-time players. Loot in Scholomance has changed gradually over time. Originally, each boss dropped some relatively weak loot. The dungeon waned in popularity as players saw little point in running it after they had completed their quests and acquired their Dungeon Set 1 hat. Blizzard again patched the dungeon. At this point, Scholomance drops a moderate amount of fairly useful items, including a very small chance at the epic and . The rewards available from the Argent Dawn have also broadened through patches. Scholomance is a staple source of Argent Dawn reputation and Scourgestones. Players seeking Naxxramas attunement, Argent Dawn tradeskill recipes, resistance enchantments or Armaments of the Dawn often spend a great deal of time in Scholomance or Stratholme. Scholomance Faculty (estimated) * Ras Frostwhisper — School Chairman, Alchemy * Darkmaster Gandling — School Headmaster * Doctor Theolen Krastinov — Torturer, Anatomy, Demonology * Lorekeeper Polkelt — Librarian, History * Instructor Malicia — Occultism, Shadow Magic * Vectus — Arcane Magic * Ravenian — Janitor, Corporal Punishment * Jandice Barov — Zombification, Corpse Control, Plague Research Notes, Tips, & Additional Info * Also known as Scholo. * Scholomance is pronounced SKO-low-mănce (Official confirmation expired) * Characters levels 45 and above can enter the instance. * See Scholomance stealth run for info on how to sneak through the dungeon. * See video of a Scholomance run (done by two mages):http://www.warcraftmovies.com/movieview.php?id=15798 * According to Romanian legend, a real Scholomance exists by an unnamed lake in the mountains south of the city of Hermannstadt (called Sibiu in Romanian) in Transylvania. This school of black magic is said to be run by the Devil, and would accept only ten students at a time. The tenth would remain to serve the Devil as payment for his teachings. The Scholomance in WoW is placed in the middle of the lake, much like its legendary namesake. In Bram Stoker's Dracula, Count Dracula is said to have spent several years training under the Devil in the Scholomance. It is referenced in both Stoker's novel and an article titled "Transylvanian Superstitions" on page 136 of The Nineteenth Century by Emily Gerard. * There are a number of ways one can gain entrance without a key by dying close to the door. This can be achieved by repeatedly jumping off the nearby ledge then jumping off the roof, by dueling and jumping off the roof, or with self sacrificing Warlock abilities and jumping off to finish the death. Once dead, the character may freely pass through the door and resurrect on the other side. Be sure to remove all equipment before attempting this, in order to avoid repair costs. * A rogue of sufficient lockpicking skill can pick the door open. this can also be used as a method for raising the lockpicking skill. *Another useful, and much easier method, is with a mage in the party. Have the mage and another character equipped with an ability to pop polymorph (druid shape shift, trinket, iceblock, etc). Begin a duel as near the door as possible. Have the second player stand next to door and the mage polymorph them. When the second character runs through door, pop polymorph and open the door from inside. *It is impossible for a warrior to completely solo this instance without having any special items that inflict non-physical damage. To make Darkmaster Gandling appear, the six rooms around him must be fully cleared. However, the Scholomance Occultists turn into Dark Shades, which are immune to physical damage. Unless a warrior has special items, they cannot kill these mobs and summon Darkmaster Gandling. ** (correction) Soloed by prot warrior in T7.25 gear, Scholomance Occultists can be killed before turning into a Dark Shades, avoiding the issue. *** Was able to kill dark Shades as Warrior by using Stratholme Holy Water * Trivia, according to early blue posts: Scholomance was originally thought of as an outdoor non-instanced area, much smaller, where Uther's Tomb is now. The designers made it so visually stunning that it was turned into an instance, so that it could be moved and enlarged. External links Category:Instances Category:Western Plaguelands Category:Scholomance Category:Ruins Category:Crypts Category:Organizations